Clinical Research Directory

Targeting Chronic Stress for Reducing Risk Factors for Colorectal Cancer

Many neighborhoods in Chicago experience daily exposure to stressors including economic inopportunity and violent crime in public spaces. There is mounting evidence that chronic psychosocial stress can facilitate carcinogenesis by modulating the gut microbiome and immune system. The proposed research aims to study the practice of mindfulness to mitigate CPS and reduce colorectal cancer risk factors among Black American women at elevated risk.

Inflammatory Pathways Modulated by Prenatal Mindfulness: A Route to Improve Maternal Child Emotional Well Being and Whole Person Health

The goal of this study is to investigate inflammation as the biological mechanism by which mindfulness based cognitive therapy for perinatal depression (MBCT-PD) administered during pregnancy improves women's emotional well-being and whole person health index during pregnancy and the early postpartum period. Secondarily the investigative team will determine if MBCT-PD administered during pregnancy improves the physical health and emotional well-being of the developing child.

The Effect of MIND-BE Program on Mental Health Parameters (Mindfulness Based Empowerment)

This study will be carried out in a prospective (pre-test, post-test, and 3-month and 6-month follow-up), randomized controlled (parallel), experimental order in order to examine the effect of the MIND-BE program applied to intensive care nurses on mental health parameters. The hypothesis of this study is that MIND-BE program increases resilience, posttraumatic growth, mindfulness, self-compassion levels, and reduces mental symptoms.

Feasibility of a Mindfulness Intervention for Endometriosis Surgery

Endometriosis is a common cause of pelvic pain in women which has been historically under-studied and under-diagnosed. The goal of this research is to pilot-test the feasibility and acceptability of a manualized, single-session brief mindfulness-based intervention (BMBI) among participants with endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain (ECPP) who undergo surgical treatment, and gather preliminary data necessary for future studies assessing BMBI's impact on outcomes in surgically-treated ECPP. This pilot study will enroll 10-20 adult participants with ECPP to receive either a BMBI adjunctive to treatment as usual (TAU; n=5-10) or education with TAU (n=5-10) prior to their ECPP surgery. The central hypothesis is the BMBI is feasible to deliver pre-operatively, acceptable to patients, and may help improve acute post-surgical outcomes through more adaptive stress coping and pain processing, enabled by mindfulness training.

The Impacts of Mindfulness on Psychological Wellbeing Among Nursing Students

The aims of this study are to develop a mindfulness-based elective course for nursing students and to evaluate its effects on psychological well-being, including mindfulness, depression, anxiety, stress, and problematic internet use, empathy, among nursing students.

Mindfulness in a College Physiology Course

This proposed study aims to evaluate whether integrating mindfulness into an undergraduate biology course (Mindful Physiology) influences students' trait and applied mindfulness, well-being, and physiological stress reactivity. The primary questions are 1. Would completing the Mindful Physiology course increase applied mindfulness? 2. Would completing the class increase trait mindfulness? 3. Would completing the class increase subjective well-being? 4. Would completing the class reduce physiological stress response to an acute social stressor?

Evaluating Knowledge Mobilization Sustainability Approaches

The overarching objective of the current study is to evaluate the effectiveness, acceptability, strategy use, and maintenance of behaviour change of different stress management sustainability groups. Furthermore, the study aims to examine how these sustainability groups and maintenance of behaviour change may impact student wellness in the long term. Specifically, objective 1 sought to compare three commonly employed approaches for sustainability of stress management strategy use (workshop booster sessions, online community drop-ins, digital infographic reminders) and an inactive control group (no support) in terms of their (1.1) effectiveness on wellness outcomes (i.e., stress, healthy and unhealthy coping capacity, mindfulness, coping self-efficacy, and well-being), (1.2) acceptability, (1.3) strategy use, and (1.4) maintenance of behaviour change over time. It was hypothesized that the community drop-in sustainability group would have greater effectiveness, strategy use, and maintenance of behaviour change compared to the other sustainability groups and inactive control. This hypothesis aligns with the literature across both sustainability supports and maintenance of behaviour change-related indices, suggesting that social support is a key element to sustained strategy use. No specific hypothesis was made for which sustainability approach would be rated as most (H1.2) acceptable given this is a novel area of research. Objective 2 sought to examine (2.1) whether maintenance of behaviour change at post (T2) predicted wellness outcomes (i.e., stress, healthy and unhealthy coping capacity, mindfulness, coping self-efficacy, and well-being) at 6-month follow-up (T4), and whether this relationship was differentially moderated by sustainability group. It was hypothesized (H2.1) that maintenance of behaviour change at post would positively predict healthy coping, mindfulness, coping self-efficacy, and well-being and negatively predict stress and unhealthy coping at the 6-month follow-up and that this would be moderated by sustainability group (i.e., workshop booster sessions, online community drop-ins, digital infographic reminders).

Interactions Between Placebo Effects and Mindful Awareness State

In this experiment,the investigators study the effects of interpersonally induced placebo effects and a mindful awareness induction on negative affect. Specifically, it will be examining the effects of interpersonally induced placebo effects (sham tDCS vs. control) and a mindful awareness induction (mindful state vs. control), as well as their interaction. Each group will undergo fMRI scanning and physiological recording will performing the Multimodal Negative Affect Task (MNAT).

Mind-body Resilience Program for Cardiac Arrest Survivors and Their Caregivers: Recovering Together After Cardiac Arrest

The purpose of this study is to pilot two resilience interventions for cardiac arrest survivors and their informal caregivers, Recovering Together after Cardiac Arrest 1 and Recovering Together after Cardiac Arrest 2 . The data the investigators gather in this study will be used to further refine the interventions.

Remote Mindfulness Training Following Early Life Adversity 2

This pilot study aims to evaluate the effects of a 10-week online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention on stress and inflammatory outcomes in a sample of emerging adults with a history of early life adversity. 15 participants (ages 18-29) with a history of childhood trauma will receive online, group-based MBSR sessions over 10 weeks. At pre- and post-intervention, participants will complete laboratory assessments, including self-report questionnaires and blood sample collection to assess markers of inflammation. Data assessing subjective and physiological stress in daily life will be collected for one week at pre- and post-intervention. This preliminary data will be used to test effects of online MBSR on health-relevant outcomes among young adults with a history of childhood trauma.

The Effect of MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) Program on Anxiety, Work-Related Emotional Burnout and Job Satisfaction in Midwives

Mindfulness; It is the state of paying attention and being aware of what is happening right now. Mindfulness, includes noticing what is happening in the present moment and the way of meeting all that is noticed. The research will be conducted in a randomized controlled manner in order to determine the Effect of MBSR (Conscious Awareness Based Stress Reduction) Program on Anxiety, Work Related Emotional Burnout and Job Satisfaction in midwives. Data will be collected from midwives working at Gaziantep Cengiz Gökçek Gynecology and Childhood Hospital between September 15 and December 15, 2022. Midwives who agree to participate in the study and meet the criteria will be sent and asked to fill in web-based online questionnaires (Whatsapp) prepared by the researchers through Google Forms. As a pre-test, "Descriptive Information Form", "Beck Anxiety Scale (BAI)", "Work-Related Emotional Burnout Scale" and "Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale (MSQ) Short Form" will be administered to midwives in the experimental and control groups. After the stress reduction program based on mindfulness was applied online by the researcher to the experimental group, 2 sessions a week for 4 weeks (1 month), a total of 8 sessions; Post-test data will be obtained by re-applying the "Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS)", "Work-Related Emotional Burnout Scale" and "Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale (MSQ) Short Form" scale to the experimental group and simultaneously to the control group. The universe of the research will be composed of midwives working at Gaziantep Cengiz Gökçek Gynecology and Childhood Hospital on the relevant dates. The minimum number of individuals to be included in the sample of the study was determined by power analysis. Sample size when power analysis is done; Assuming that the method applied with 5% error level, bidirectional significance level, 95% confidence interval and 80% ability to represent the universe, would reduce the anxiety score averages (8.20±8.64) by 6 points, a total of 66 midwives (33 experimental, 33 control) calculated.

MIND-FULNESS-BASED FAMILY RESILIENCE INTERVENTION FOR MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Family Resilience Group Intervention can improve family resilience and mindfulness in mothers of children with intellectual disabilities. The intervention combines mindfulness practices with principles from Walsh's systemic family resilience model. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the intervention improve mothers' reported family resilience? * Does the intervention improve mothers' mindfulness? * How do mothers describe their caregiving experiences, parenting roles, and family life, and how do these experiences change during the intervention? Researchers will compare mothers who receive the Mindfulness-Based Family Resilience Group Intervention with mothers in a control group who continue to receive usual care. Participants in the intervention group will: * Attend one group session per week for eight weeks, with each session lasting approximately 90 minutes. * Take part in mindfulness practices and activities focused on awareness of thoughts, emotions, and bodily experiences, acceptance, self-compassion, and personal and family resources. * Complete assessments of family resilience and mindfulness before the intervention, after the intervention, and at a three-month follow-up. Participants in the control group will continue to receive usual care and will complete the same assessments at the same time points. The study will also examine participants' experiences during the group intervention to better understand the processes that accompany changes in family resilience and mindfulness.

Effect of Mindfulness Induction on Taekwondo-Specific Performance and Autonomic Recovery

This randomized, counterbalanced crossover study investigated whether a mindfulness induction could improve kicking performance and facilitate psychophysiological recovery following fatigue manipulation in taekwondo athletes. After completing a cognitively demanding task and a simulated taekwondo match, participants underwent either a 15-min mindfulness induction or a control condition before performing taekwondo-specific kicking tests. Kicking performance and heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed as the primary outcomes, while perceived exertion, blood lactate, mental fatigue, and state mindfulness were evaluated as secondary outcomes. The findings will provide insight into the potential of mindfulness induction as a practical between-match recovery strategy for enhancing both physiological and psychological recovery in taekwondo athletes.

Changes in Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Experienced Meditators

This research project aims to investigate whether participation in a 5-day meditation retreat is associated with changes in biomechanical gait parameters in experienced meditators. Walking is a complex motor function that integrates cognitive, sensory, and neuromuscular processes, and alterations in gait have been linked to neurological, psychological, and emotional functioning. Recent advances in wearable sensor technology enable precise assessment of gait characteristics, including stance and swing phases, foot-rocker timing, acceleration, and joint kinematics, providing objective measures of motor performance. Mindfulness has consistently demonstrated beneficial effects on psychological well-being, emotion regulation, and body awareness, and growing evidence suggests that emotional states influence motor behavior, including gait. Furthermore, mindfulness-based interventions have shown promising effects on motor symptoms in some clinical populations, although the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Meditation retreats, which combine intensive mindfulness practice with a distraction-free environment, have been associated with sustained improvements in stress, anxiety, quality of life, and neuroplasticity-related processes. However, despite increasing interest in mind-body interventions, no published studies have specifically examined the effects of meditation retreats on gait biomechanics. This pilot study therefore seeks to address this knowledge gap by evaluating changes in gait and foot-strike biomechanics before and after a 5-day meditation retreat using wearable gait analysis technology. In addition, the study will explore the relationship between changes in biomechanical gait variables and participants' levels of mindfulness and quality of life. The findings are expected to provide preliminary evidence on the potential motor effects of intensive meditation practice and contribute to a better understanding of the interaction between mindfulness, body awareness, and locomotor function in healthy individuals.

Mindfulness and Compassion Program for the Improvement of Emotional and Behavioral Problems, Academic Performance and School Climate in Students in the Last Cycle of Primary Education.

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of a Mindfulness and Compassion program to improve emotional and behavioral problems, academic performance and school climate of students in the last cycle of Primary Education. Participants will be randomly assigned to the Cuida2 program or to an active control group practicing relaxation. The different variables studied will be evaluated before and after the intervention, and at a three months follow-up. These evaluations will be carried out by the students and their families. In addition, a qualitative exploration will be carried out at the end of the programs, also including the teachers' perceptions.

Investigation of Functional Brain Network in Altered Meditation State With Multimodal Neuroimaging

The purpose of this study is to investigate functional brain network in altered meditation state with multimodal neuroimaging.

A Mindfulness-based Intervention for Sexual Assault Survivors

The goal is this pilot randomized trial is to learn if intervention 1 is feasible and acceptable. A secondary aim is to learn if intervention 1 reduces alcohol misuse and tobacco use in sexual assault survivors. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is intervention 1 feasible to implement? * Is intervention 1 an acceptable intervention among the primary population, sexual assault survivors? * Does intervention 1 reduce alcohol misuse and tobacco use? Researchers will compare intervention 1 to an attention-placebo control group (e.g., online resources on healthy eating and nutrition). Participants will: * take online surveys at baseline, 1 month follow-up, and 3-month follow-up * answer text-message questions at baseline and post-test * view and engage in an educational program

Psychosocial Correlates of Trait Emotional Intelligence and Psychosomatic Symptoms Among Adolescents Exposed to Bullying and the Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.

This study examines the psychosocial correlates of trait emotional intelligence and psychosomatic symptoms among adolescents exposed to bullying and analyzes the effetiveness of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program through a randomized controlled trial. The study is two phased, in which the Phase 1 includes a cross sectional correlational survey that was administered to 403 adolescents aged 14 to 18 years studying in secondary schools and colleges of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan to analyze the relationships among childhood traumatic experiences, mindfulness, and level of bullying exposure with trait emotional intelligence and psychosomatic symptoms to identify eligible participants for Phase 2. In Phase 2, about 44 adolescents meeting eligibility criteria were randomly assigned to either an intervention group that received the 8 week MBSR intervention (n=22) or waitlist control group (n=22). Pre and post assessments were done to examine changes in trait emotional intelligence and psychosomatic symptoms, following the mbsr intervention.

Dose-Response Effects of a Brief Audio-Guided Mindfulness Intervention for Acute Pain

This project is a single-site, three-arm, randomized controlled trial investigating whether different length audio-recorded mindfulness practices differentially decrease pain among patients in a waiting room awaiting orthopedic care.

Mindfulness App Training for Cardiovascular Health

This study will investigate the feasibility and effects of a smartphone-based mindfulness training program vs. usual care in a sample of stressed midlife and older adults at risk for cardiovascular disease. 105 participants will be randomly assigned to complete a four-week mindfulness training intervention, which involves 28 audio-guided lessons and practice prompts delivered 3x daily, or to continue with their regular routines. Data will be collected at baseline, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up. The study will involve seven laboratory visits, which will include assessments and training on daily life monitoring and intervention procedures. Data assessing subjective and physiological stress reactivity in daily life will be collected for 3 days at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Passive sensor data will be continuously collected from participants' smartphones and wearable devices to develop models that predict daily life stress. Data will be used to evaluate feasibility of the intervention and assessments in a sample at risk for cardiovascular disease and to test effects of mindfulness training on subjective and physiological stress reactivity.

Effect of Mandala Coloring on Menopausal Attitude, Perceived Stress and Mindfulness

Menopause is a natural life stage associated with hormonal changes that may affect women physically and psychologically. During this period, women may experience increased stress levels, negative attitudes toward menopause, and decreased mindfulness. Mandala coloring is a structured art-based intervention that may promote relaxation and improve psychological well-being. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of mandala coloring on attitudes toward menopause, perceived stress, and mindfulness levels among menopausal women.

Mindfulness-Art Therapy Intervention in Abused Adolescents

Adolescence is an important stage of development when many mental health difficulties first appear. Young people who have experienced abuse are especially vulnerable, as abuse can lead to intense feelings of shame and negatively affect their body self-concept. This study explored whether a group program combining mindfulness and art therapy-called the Mindfulness and Art Therapy Group Program (MATG-P)-could help adolescents with a history of abuse. Mindfulness helps young people become more aware of their thoughts and feelings in a nonjudgmental way, while art therapy allows them to express emotions safely and creatively. Although both approaches have been used separately, their combined effect was not previously studied among vulnerable adolescents. . Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the Mindfulness and Art Therapy Group Program on body self-concept and shame in adolescents with a history of abuse. After completing the intervention and analyzing the data, it was concluded that adolescents who participated in the program showed significant improvements in how they viewed their bodies and experienced lower levels of shame compared to those who did not receive the intervention. These findings suggest that combining mindfulness and art therapy in a group setting may be an effective way to support adolescents who have experienced abuse. Overall, this study highlights the potential contribution of MATG P as a supportive intervention to improve body self-concept and reduce shame among adolescents with a history of abuse.

Mindfulness Meditation for Insomnia

The investigators will conduct a 3-arm, pilot RCT where participants (N=30) will be randomized in a 1:1:1 design to 4 weeks of instructed bedtime MM practice at night (n=10) vs. uninstructed MM (n=10) vs. sleep hygiene education only (n=10). Aim 1 is to understand the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and study procedures. Aim 2 is to explore patterns of within-group changes in sleep outcomes (i.e., insomnia severity and sleep quality). Patient-reported outcomes will be collected using a HIPAA-compliant electronic data management system (REDCap). Following informed consent, participants will receive links to REDCap surveys via email at Weeks 0, 4, 8, and 16. The investigators will also conduct a post-intervention interview at the end of Week 4 and an exit interview at Week 16. All participants will also receive a research kit with wearable devices and meet with our staff after they receive the kit for instructions. Data collected in the pilot RCT will help us to preliminarily identify tools for subjective measures and physiological signals to inform a future trial.

Mindful-Breath for People With COPD

Individuals living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often suffer from stress and behavioral risks such as physical inactivity. In an attempt to promote healthy behaviors and overall wellbeing among this particular population, this study aims to develop and evaluate a personalized Mindful-Breath intervention combining telehealth technology and mindfulness for COPD patients. This is an assessor-blinded, two-arm exploratory randomized controlled trial with a sequential mixed-method design. A total of 60 participants will be recruited and randomly assigned to either intervention or control group using 1:1 ratio. Intervention group will go through 8 weekly 60-min hybrid group sessions, combining mindfulness-based pulmonary rehabilitation and lifestyle modification. Personalized mindfulness-based lifestyle counselling through instant messages with chat-based support throughout the 8-week intervention period will also be provided. Control group will receive a single in-person 60-min group session on general education on pulmonary rehabilitation and lifestyle modification and will only receive reminder messages for follow-ups. Variables such as time spent on physical activity, lung function, perceived stress, symptom burden and health-related quality of life will be collected at three time-points (T0: baseline, prior to randomization; T1: immediate post-intervention; T2: 3-month post-intervention).